Correct Lather?

A

Amnesia180

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200
Hi All,

Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying to follow the Youtube videos which have been suggested to me via these forums.

They are great, and very informative. But they seem to be focussed around the hard soap type shaving cream you can get.

The one I have is a Body Shop Maca Root Cream. I just can't get it to lather though.

I've tried all sorts, but adding water doesn't seem to do much. So I kept adding a little at a time but it goes from thick straight to runny... There doesn't seem to be much in between.

So, I've resorted to basically smearing it onto my face and using it that way. Not the best idea, and it's actually quite wasteful but I just can't get it right...

Any further tips?

Thanks,
Amnesia
 
The Maca Root is a good cream that you shouldn't be having difficulty generating a lather from.

Take a look at this video (from about 3:30 in for creams, although it'll be useful to watch it all).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc[/youtube]

Also the thread below should help you out if you prefer to face lather.

<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=545">viewtopic.php?f=6&t=545</a><!-- l -->

Scoop a small amount of the cream into a bowl or into the brush (an almond-ish sized piece is generally recommended) and then try to build lather as instructed.
 
I know I do not speak for everyone here, but I can't make lather like in the youtube videos either! Mantics videos are great, but if I add that much at a time, I wont get lather. Maybe its down to hardness of water, I don't know.

This works for me (with maca root in bowl):

1) Fill sink with hot water
2) dump bowl and brush in sink
3) hot shower
4) empty bowl and set aside
5) give brush two hard vertical down shakes
6) invert bowl again to drain the small amount of water that has now run to the bottom
6) slightly larger than the advertised almond dollop
7) build lather

When tha lather is very creamy, but still too dry, I find I need to find the sweet spot by adding water by the drops! 5 to 10 drops from my fingertips are usually about right.

Hope it helps.

/Max
 
Thanks max!

The bit about putting an empty bowl in the water is a new one to me. I've never tried that before and have just been putting my brush directly into the Maca Root tub...

Thanks for the tips :)
 
Amnesia180 said:
Thanks max!

The bit about putting an empty bowl in the water is a new one to me. I've never tried that before and have just been putting my brush directly into the Maca Root tub...

Thanks for the tips :)
Click to expand...


I only dump the bowl in there to warm it up, that way the lather stays warm for longer. If warm lather is really important to you, then a scuttle is very handy.

/Max
 
moodymick said:
Soak your brush, give it a squeeze, touch your bristle tips in the pot and then smash it all around your face. Very quick dabs into the water with your brush tips as required.
Click to expand...


This is what to do.

Or... You are not as far off as you may think with the face smearing thing that you are doing just now. You could face smear then go to work on your face with your damp brush as described above. As you work it, there will be a "Eureka moment" when the lather appears. There is a Mantic video (which I have looked for but cannot find) where he face lathers using Coates cream and it is very apparent when the lather happens.

Edit: Forgot to say. Dump the lather bowl. It is not necessary.
 
Smell The Glove said:
Edit: Forgot to say. Dump the lather bowl. It is not necessary.
Click to expand...

Unless you prefer bowl lathering :D :shave

I'm not using a bowl these days, but when I had the Maca Root (I PIF'ed it) I used the bowl, hence my description. Still I add water by the drops, even when face lathering, or I will pass the sweet spot and just get "soapy water"

/Max
 
To be honest, I kind of like the look of using a lathering bowl... I'm 23 years of age, but love old fashioned stuff... and now I've found this forum (much to my fiance's amusement) I've falled in love with using a DE Razor and maybe, one day, a straight razor!

Anyway... I like the look of using a lathering bowl, because I hate waste. I know in a bowl I can start off small and add more cream if needed. I wouldn't want to splash it over my face, found I've used too much and really need to water it down.

However, saying that - until I start coming to terms with lathering etc... I won't be jumping too far ahead :)
 
If you are having trouble, I'd pop a fair size dollop of cream in any old bowl and smear it around a bit. I use a little plastic spatula. And be generous with the cream. Soak brush, lightly flick out water then swirl away in the bowl. Using Maca Root in that way usually produces a lather explosion for me.
 
[quote="mstrunck
Still I add water by the drops, even when face lathering, or I will pass the sweet spot and just get "soapy water"

/Max[/quote]

+1

I found this was the most important point when creating a lather from Macca Root. Mind you, even with the hard water in my area, once the lather is created, I can easily get four passes out of it.

Paul
 
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